Palin/Hillary SNL Spot

Hilarious...if you missed it...check it out!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

Running into another friend...

So, as I standing around trying to figure out what to do next. I looked to my right, and who was standing there? Crazy!  Jon Stewart from Comedy Central. He graciously agreed to a quick pic, and said: "So, these are the Republicans." I did want to go into a small tirade about how the crazy protestors were probably not from Minnesota, but other crazy states. But I decided against it, and just stood and watched all the action with him for a few seconds. Other celebrity sightings for the week, included Mitt Romney and his wife. We apparently liked the same walking path because I saw them 3 times in one day. Also, saw Carl Rove, and Greta from Fox...but the highlight was seeing my main man: Tom Browkaw! He's definitely aging, but still has spunk!

The excitement continues...

When everything started getting crazy on my little corner, aka breaking windows and resorting to general mayhem. The police that were following the protestors, stopped, popped open their trunks, and started putting on their bullet proof vests and riot gear. 

I tried to ask one of Minnesota's finest police officers if I could just quickly cross the street. Because remember, I was trying to get to Starbucks to meet my friend Jennifer. I figured I didn't look menacing, and thought they'd let me just zip quickly across the street. Apparently not...he just shook his head "no." I did actually mention that I was trying to get to Starbucks, hoping that mentioning a large corporate company would somehow help my negotiation process with him. Again...a "no." But I did try.
So, as I was standing there surveying the scene, taking a few pictures and trying to figure out how to get by the police and cross the street. The police then started to move towards the protestors. They sort of spread out in a line, and a realized that they were forming a square around the protestors, and I was right in the middle of this square, along with the protestors. Uh-Oh! It was at this moment, that I decided to go back inside the Brueggers Bagel. It just felt a little safer there with the warm bagels and free wi-fi.
Eventually, after watching out the window of the Brueggers Bagel and doing a few radio reports about what was happening, I realized I could leave the area. You could exit the square, but once you left the area, you couldn't get back in. So, I packed up my stuff, left Brueggers, and tried to find my friend Jennifer. Poor girl, she is from DC, and was wandering around the streets of St.Paul trying to connect with me.

Just when I thought it couldn't get more interesting...

Right after lunch, I decided to try and meet my friend Jennifer at a Starbucks down the street.  As I was walking to meet her, I saw what I thought was the start of a parade. So, I decided to wait until it passed to see what it was all about.  Turns out it was actually a group of protestors. They had identified themselves to the media as anarchists and/or some sort of anti-government group. The police were following the group, mainly just driving behind them to keep the group moving along. 

The group was not really causing trouble, until they got right to the corner I was standing at. BRILLIANT!
I was standing right across the street from Macy's in downtown St. Paul, and a couple of the protestors starting bashing out the windows with bats and these long sticks. 
After bashing out 2-3 of the large glass windows of the Macy's store, they moved on to this police car that was sitting in the intersection. 
Nobody was sitting in the police cars...the cars were just sitting there blocking the intersection.
Secret Service dude outside of Macy's. I always wonder what they are saying in their little microphones. 

The Day Gets Interesting at the RNC

I got to St. Paul this morning, and walked around the convention grounds for the morning. It was a quiet morning, and not many people were around. The media was getting set up, and various people from the neighborhood were milling around. I just had to take a picture of this very cute dog. :)

This is a pictures of the MSNBC broadcast site, just outside the perimeter of the Excel Energy Center.
All sorts of various organizations are also handing out literature, and lobbying for your time.This is one of the NBC trucks. I thought it was cool, so took a pic.

At the RNC

So, I decided I couldn't take watching the conventions on TV anymore, and caught a ride with a friend to Minnesota on Saturday for the start of the Republican National Convention. I'm in St.Paul right now, about 6 blocks from the Excel Energy Center. I don't have my media credentials yet, but a guy I know is working on it. Everybody has to have a "a guy" don't they?

Both Minneapolis and St.Paul are filled with convention delegates, press, and protestors, and it's unusually hot for this time of year in MN. It's over 90 degrees all ready today.  I can remember standing outside waiting for the school bus in a sweater and cords, so I can't believe it's quite this hot on September 1st.

I only took one picture before I ran out of battery power. But I'm back up and running now, so will post more pics later on today. For right now, my temporary headquarters is in the air-conditioned Brueggers Bagel Shop, which happens to have great bagels, and the all important "Free Wi-Fi" Occupying the booth right next to me is a whole crowd of AP reporters who have also taken up residence here, so I'm amongst friends.

Keep checking back for more pics...Go McCain/Palin!

(Pic Above: Hillary & McCain dolls for sale. No sign of any Obama dolls.)